Odds & Ends: Rothschild, Listach, Wallach, Alderson

Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune reminds us that Cubs' pitching coach Larry Rothschild has until tomorrow to pick up his option for 2011. Rothschild has worked closely with Carlos Zambrano over the last several years, watching over him like a "substitute teacher," to use Sullivan's words.

Meanwhile, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Nationals third base coach Pat Listach is no longer a candidate to manage the Cubs.

Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that Tim Wallach will serve as either the Dodgers bench or third base coach next season unless another team hires him to be their manager.

Sandy Alderson asked and received permission from Bud Selig to interview with the Mets for the GM vacancy next Thursday or Friday, and The New York Post's Joel Sherman says that's an indication that Alderson wants the job badly.

In a mailbag piece, Hoynes says that insurance would cover some of the $28.75MM left on Travis Hafner's contract if he lands on the disabled list with a right shoulder issue. Pronk has been battling injuries to the shoulder since 2008.

John Tomase of The Boston Herald looks at all of the non-closer relievers who signed a multi-year deal worth at least $5MM over the last four seasons. In summary, it's not pretty. Not at all.

Best move for the Mets (ouch). Alderson is a military man that knows how to organize and run things. He was also Billy Beane’s mentor and has the balls to tell Jeff Wilpon to leave him the hell alone. If the Mets were smart, they’d hire Alderson and give him free reign of that front office.

you are 100000000% right and are especially right about his autonomy (or freedom of having his own space). He is also a Dartmouth grad as well. And he is simply just one of the smartest Baseball people around giving the Mets automatically one of the best GM’s in Baseball. If anybody can turn the Mets organization in to the great organization it’s known for, it’s Sandy.

Also Tony La Russa managed under Sandy for 11 years. I wonder if he’ll give him a call.

If Alderson is hired, he cannot, under any circumstance bring in LaRussa. He just can’t. LaRussa would self destruct in the media glare in New York. It would not be pretty; it would not be at all be helpful to the Mets to employ LaRussa. Just say NOOOOOOOOOO!

If Alderson is hired, he cannot, under any circumstance bring in LaRussa. He just can’t. LaRussa would self destruct in the media glare in New York. It would not be pretty; it would not be at all be helpful to the Mets to employ LaRussa. Just say NOOOOOOOOOO!

Clearly the important news here is the stuff about former Brewers “great” Pat Listach (hey, at least he was the 1992 AL Rookie of the Year). Seeing him at the helm of the Cubs would have caused me and the four other Brewers fans willing acknowledge the existence of our dreadful 90s cast of characters to cringe.

I was hoping that the Ricketts family would hire Alderson to be more than a GM, but the Cubs president when they took over last year. It appears having a non baseball guy in Crane Kenney as presdent is good enough for the Cubs.